Wednesday, February 23, 2011

BECAUSE LIFE IS TO SWEET TO EAT BAD CAKE

I know you don't love me just for what I can do in the kitchen...or do you?  


So I posted a contest for 2 dozen free cupcakes via email and my Facebook fan page today.  I needed help with a catchy phrase for my business cards.  WOW!  I checked my email tonight and had over 2 dozen emails, including a few from people I have never met.  There were 91 entries of phrases and 61 of names.  A friend of mine (under the influence of nighttime cold medicine) said "Everyone is trying to dance with the Prom Queen."  I thought that was hilarious and wanted to share with all of you.  My business name will be Becki's Cakery as I chose months ago.  Easy to remember and if you Google Becki's Cakery, it is the first one listed.  I planned it that way.  I can be smart like that at times.


As for the entries there were a bunch that I really liked but one stuck out as soon as I read it.  I looked over the list again and again, but kept coming back to it.  The winner of the contest is Mary S. (a friend of a friend) Nice!  The power of the internet for the positive.  She will be getting 2 dozen free cupcakes of her choice for her entry "BECAUSE LIFE IS TO SWEET TO EAT BAD CAKE."  Congrats to Mary! 


Thanks for everyones entries!  More contests in the future so keep in touch!


Here are all the entries for your viewing pleasure.  I am not listing names for those who sent them in.



Contest Entries
specializing in sweet seductions
specializing in sweet necessities 
seductively sweet
Simple necessities
cakes to take
creating creative cupcakes and cakes
devine delights to satisfy every sweet tooth
creative cakes and cupcakes for any occasion
Sweet dreams come true
Making the sweetest dreams come true
All the worlds a birthday cake, so take a piece. - George Harrison
Get cake like errrrday your birthday - Lil Wayne.
We'll always rise to the occasion!
Simply the Best!
Making smiles one [cup]cake at a time....
Changing the way you look at baking
This isn't your mothers kitchen
Homemade and made-to-order baking, perfect for your special occasion
If you can dream it, I can bake it.
Delicious...  Distinctive...  Delightful....
~Sweet and Spice and Everything Nice~
A beautiful cake and someone to share it with.
Where confection meets perfection
Get BAKED with CAKE
Cupcake swirls and chocolate curls, that's what sweet girls are made of.  Ganache cake        layers and marzipan soccer players, that's what grinning boys are made of.
Becki's lusciously decadent, fabulously indulgent, custom-crafted cakes and cupcakes.
The sweet fix
Icing on the cake
Savor the moment
Cherry on top
beaux gateau
Tasting Heaven
a taste of heaven
Experience Bliss
A Bite of Bliss
Heavenly Bliss
The essence of Heaven
Unforgettable flavors [Bliss]
Savor the flavor
Devine [Decadent] delights for any occasion!
Custom baked treats for every occasion.
Custom cakes and cupcakes decorated for any occasion.
Delightful custom cakes designed for any occasion.
Take a walk on the cupcake side (instead of the wild side.
When you see a cupcake you can't help but smile  
Cupcakes, everybody loves them
Cake, frosting, sprinkles, maybe filling.....a cupcake will be whatever you want it to be
Becki's Cakery....you'll eat it up!
Want a piece of heaven....call Becki's Cakery
Because life is too sweet to eat bad cake!
Custom confections
Just a spoonful....!
Just a spoon full of sugar!
Just one nibble...!
Tasty confections

Go on...eat a cupcake
You look like you could use a cupcake
More than a mouthful
A piece of heaven
Happy happy joy joy
Yummy in your tummy
For that special occasion
A "cup" of heaven in every "cake"
Killing you softly with cake
Helping you get your cake on
Get your cake on
Caking it up since 2010
Baking and lovin' it
Cake a walk on the wild side
Cake you for your support
We cake every ocassion special 
We take cake seriously
We cake dessert seriously 
Cool custom cake creations
Deliciousness in every bite
Eat me
Custom Cake Creations
Taking cake to a whole new level
Let cake make your day
We eat cake for breakfast
Take a cake break
Making cakes matter
We make cakes matter
Making makes matter since...
Where cake takes the spotlight
Where cake takes centerstage
Cake makes our day
Making cakes to make your day
We make cake to make your day
sweet dreams
have your cake and eat it too


Although I have a name…some people came up with some interesting ones too!
Simply Pastry
Cake Cartel
MODD (Mother of Desert Designs)
Stuff your Face
Shizzle Deserts
Moist Eats
Record Free Cake Boss
Cakesalot
The Cake Hole
Shut Your Cake Hole
Becki's Cake Hole
The cake dutchess
The Cake Hole Bakery
BeckiCakes
WillisCakes
Cakes A Lot
Cake Queen
Queen of Cakes
WomanCakes
Piece 'a Cake
Piece 'a Cake Bakery
Becki's Piece 'a Cake Bakery
Girly Cake
Girly Cakes
Caketown
Cake it Up
Cakers Bakery
Tasty Cakes
Special Cakes
Takes the Cake
Becki Takes the Cake
Takes the Cake Bakery
Cakeopolis
Crazy Cakes
Cutie Cakes
Kitchen Cakes
Becki's Kitchen Cakes
Cabin Cakes
Becki's Bake Sale
Prize Cakes
Treasure Cakes
Yummy Cakes
Fatty Cakes
Chubby Cakes
Cake Crazy
Cakemaster
Cake Master
Cake Master Cakes
Master Cakes
The Cake Experiment
The Experience Cake Project
Becki's Cake Project
Cake Creations
Cake Eaters Anonymous
The Secret Cake Society
Seattle Cake Society
The Center for Advanced Cake Eating
Contest Cakes
Federal Bureau of Ingesti-Cake-tion
The Cake Lady
Lady Cakes
Cup Cake Creations
The Cup Cakery
The Cake-inator!
The Cup Cake Artisan

Baby Cakes or Bust!

Last weekend my husband, Brian and I flew into LA to help my mother move from Redondo Beach to Phoenix where she is currently living and starting her retirement years. She purchased the Phoenix condo years ago but it was the first time we had ever been to see it.


The night before we flew into L.A. mom went to dinner with a group of friends. She met a lady and in chatting with her, found out she owned Baby Cakes Baking Company in Torrance, CA, about 15 minutes from her place in Redondo Beach. Khryste (correct spelling), the owner, told my mom to bring me by the bakery for a tour. In the 12 hours we planned to be in LA, it was a “must do” part of the trip.

We drove out to the bakery before dinner. My mom went crazy buying a bunch of cupcakes and cookies. I am not sure who she thought was going to eat them but none the less she walked out of there with almost a dozen cupcakes and 3 of each kind of cookie from the case. Khryste was so sweet! She let us into the back room where she and a couple of other gals were packaging cookies for delivery to a local grocery chain. This store sells her packaged and labeled cookies as a specialty item. She explained to us how she got started, her current plans for her business and how much time she puts into it. She loves her job and company and you can really tell. If you ever get out to Torrance it is a cute bakery that you should try to stop at for a sweet treat.

After speaking with her, I got a better sense of direction for where I would like to have my business take off to. I recently taught a lesson at church that comes to mind. The basic concept was Practice Practice Practice! I know I have a lot more to learn and research but I believe some day I will reach my goal to bake and decorate full time.

I did try to get to bakeries in Phoenix but by the time I had a chance to go, they were closed for the day. It appeared all bakeries there are also closed on Sundays and Mondays too. My mom made a list of the ones around the area. She said she planned to email me each month with the list as a reminder to come visit her again. AS IF that would be the only reason to get me down there! Since I couldn’t go to a bakery, I tried making a batch of “Almost sugar cookie” cupcakes with a raspberry buttercream icing while I was down there. It’s a little disorienting to bake in another person’s kitchen but I faired okay. I used the Ziploc bag method from “Hello Cupcake” and it worked out fine. Needless to say, it’s my mom’s birthday this Saturday so she may be getting a brand new hand mixer in the mail to replace the one she has from the early 90’s!!!

We’re back home in Edmonds now. My week will finish up with baking 10 dozen mini cupcakes for an order due Saturday and starting on the Mario game birthday cake due later next week.


Have a sweet week!

Friday, February 4, 2011

It's been so long since we had a chat....

Yep, I am not very good at keeping up on the blog.  I need my sis in law to do it for me! (did I say for cheap or free?  Cuz I have a college kid now... :) It has been a year of cake and not so cake.  Last spring and summer I was slammed.  It slowed a bit in the fall and I have only had 2 completed orders in the last 3 months.   I am hoping it's because of the time of year.  I have had plenty of requests for donations...I haven't had any real business from the donations though.  I just need to make sure this year...I do more paying orders than donations.    I cut prices again just to get specific types of cake orders to build the portfolio.


Time...Time...Time....don't we all wish we had more of it?  I didn't really think about new years resolutions for 2011.  First year that I can remember not having resolutions looming over my head causing fits of guilt for not keeping them.  Thats a plus!  Here is a resolution for this year though...Learn to say no.  I plan to stay organized and sane by completing the obligations I have and not taking on more before I think about them.  hmmm....so now that I am thinking about it and taking the time to write things down...let's make a list.  Not in order of importance.


1. Family Genealogy
2. Cake Business 
3. Use Cake Cricut
4. Get proficient with coupons
5. Regular date nights
6. Blog posts that are more specific and not so random...  :)
7. Get through Trek


Time for bed.  Busy day tomorrow.  The way I figure it...I get to sleep and relax after 8:30pm next Thursday night.